


Fearful Symmetry

by leiascully



Series: The FBI's Most Unwanted [46]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: Episode Tag, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-21
Updated: 2015-10-21
Packaged: 2018-04-27 09:32:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5043109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leiascully/pseuds/leiascully
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You can't title your report 'Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My'," Scully argued.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fearful Symmetry

**Author's Note:**

> Timeline: 2.18 "Fearful Symmetry"  
> Disclaimer: _The X-Files_ and all related characters are the property of Chris Carter, 1013 Productions, and Fox Studios. No profit is made from this work and no infringement is intended.

"Why can't it be an invisible tiger?" he asked. "Why can't it be an invisible elephant?"

"Mulder," she sighed, "I can't believe you're even asking me this question."

"For the sake of argument," he said. "Why not."

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Last time you wanted an explanation you started fidgeting as soon as I got technical."

"Entropy and optics aren't the same," he said. "Entropy makes everyone nervous."

"Does it?" she murmured.

"Invisible tiger," he reminded her.

She got about thirty seconds into optics before he got distracted by something.

\+ + + + 

"You can't title your report 'Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My'," Scully argued as they drove back to the hotel.

"Why not?" Mulder asked. One last night in Idaho, he thought, and they were both more than ready to leave. Maybe they should investigate why all the cases in Idaho were depressing, awful, inconclusive work.

"For one thing, it's inaccurate," Scully said. "Tigers and Gorillas and Elephants, oh my. Anyway, I would have thought you'd go with William Blake."

"Tyger, Tyger, burning bright, in the forests of the night," Mulder quoted. "The stars threw down their spears, Scully."

"Vanity," she said, as they passed a local church sign, "all is vanity."

"In this case, all is tragedy," he said. "Animals abducted away from their captivity and used as subjects in some kind of experiment."

"I can't imagine what anyone would do with a bunch of immature animal fetuses," Scully said, crossing her arms.

"I don't want to imagine," Mulder said.

They didn't say anything else as he parked the car. They went to their separate rooms. He knocked on her door later and they went through the local takeout options. 

"Pizza?" he said ruefully, letting the menus fall on the desk.

"Pizza," she agreed. 

Mulder paid for the pizza and set the box on Scully's bed. She lifted the box and put one of the thin scratchy motel towels under it to catch the grease, shooting him a look. He shrugged, toasting her with a piece of pizza. A mushroom fell off and he picked it up and put it in his mouth. 

"It's all so sad," she said.

"The pizza?" he asked, surveying his piece with distaste. 

"That and the animals," she said. 

"You're not going wild again, are you, Scully?" he asked, taking another piece of pizza.

"I don't agree with their methods," she said, "but it certainly seems cruel, to keep animals that large in such small spaces. It compromises their health, if not their dignity."

"Makes our basement accommodations look spacious," he agreed. "As unethical as some of her actions were, I wish Ambrose had found a way to save Sophie."

"Yeah," Scully sighed. "Me too."

They turned on the television and watched a mediocre movie, the noise a buffer against the strangeness of the world.


End file.
